As the opening acts of 2016 presidential nomination campaigns begin to appear throughout 21st century electronic and print journalism, White House correspondent Kenneth T. Walsh sees this publicity as representing a key election strategy: Celebrity first.

Walsh has seen a lot of this particular type of celebrity - he's covered the White House since the mid-1980s and is the longtime Chief White House Correspondent for U.S. News & World Report. He also served several years as president of the White House Correspondents Association.

In his latest book, Celebrity in Chief: A History of The Presidents and The Culture of Stardom, presidential historian Walsh explores celebrity as enduring concept of the American presidency beginning with George Washington. The fame is a useful tool, Walsh believes, providing fuel for not only support at the polls, but also for propelling agendas after election. His book examines the celebrity of Barack and Michelle Obama and that of other chief executives, declaring that, along the way, some were good at celebrity and some were lousy.

Previously, Walsh turned his veteran reporter's eye on other presidential-related topics, including a book titled Feeding The Beast: The White House Versus The Press. He has also written books about presidential retreats, From Mount Vernon to Crawford: A History of the Presidents and Their Retreats, and Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes. He also wrote Family of Freedom: Presidents and African Americans in the White House, an examination of attitudes, policies, triumphs and influence. Walsh is the winner of many awards including the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency.